grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

Satan

The Greek that is typically transliterated in English as “Satan” is transliterated in Kipsigis as “Setani.” This is interesting because it is not only a transliteration that approximates the Greek sound but it is also an existing Kipsigis word with the meaning of “ugly” and “sneaking.” (Source: Earl Anderson in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 85ff. )

In Morelos Nahuatl it is translated as “envious one” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Tibetan: bdud (བདུད།), lit. “chief devil” (except in Rev. 20:2, where it is transliterated) (source: gSungrab website ).

complete verse (Luke 22:31)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 22:31:

  • Noongar: “‘Simon, Simon! Listen! God knows about Satan, he will test all of you, separating the good and bad, the same as farmers separating seed and waste.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “After that, the Lord Yesus spoke to Simon Petrus, he said: ‘Ee’, Simon! Hear: The King of Evil-ones has been given the opportunity to tempt you all. Like rice that is winnowed, like that also will be the severity of the temptation that strikes you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Isa said to Petros, ‘Simon, listen. The leader of demons has asked permission to test you (pl.) if he can influence you (pl.) to the bad. His testing is as if rice is winnowed and the kernels and the chaff are separated.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said to Simon Peter, he said, ‘Hey Simon, I have something to say to you. God has allowed Satan to try to test all of you. His testing of you will be like separating the husk from the grain, because perhaps your faith is just like husks.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus said to Pedro, ‘Simon, please listen to what I say. Satanas has requested opportunity to test you all so that he will see if any among you will be separated like the separation of hulled-rice and husks when it is winnowed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then Jesus said to Simon Pedro, ‘Simon, you (pl.) are being asked for by Satanas to be tested by him. Well, it is being permitted that all of you, your believing/obeying will be tested.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Luke 22:31

Exegesis:

Simōn Simōn ‘Simon, Simon,’ emphatic repetition of Simon’s original name, as contrasted with Petre in v. 34, the name given to Simon by Jesus as a name of honour, cf. 6.14. The absence of a clause, or phase to indicate the transition is awkward.

idou ‘look’ (cf. on 1.20), strengthens the emphasis on what follows.

ho Satanas exētēsato humas ‘Satan has claimed you.’ humas (plural) refers to Simon and the other disciples (see also on v. 32).

exaiteomai ‘to ask for,’ ‘to claim (with success),’ ‘to obtain by asking.’

tou siniasai hōs ton siton ‘in order to sift (you) like wheat,’ final articular infinitive in the genitive, with humas understood.

siniazō ‘to shake in a sieve,’ ‘to sift,’ here in the figurative meaning of putting to the test, or, on trial.

Translation:

Satan, see on 10.18.

Demanded to have you, preferably, “obtained permission” (An American Translation), “has been given leave” (New English Bible). The translator should not hesitate to mention God as the one who gives the permission, if the linguistic structure of the receptor language requires it.

Sift you like wheat, or, ‘sift you like people sift wheat,’ ‘shake you many times as people do to wheat’ (cf. Kekchi). To sift, i.e. ‘to shake in a sieve’ (Zürcher Bibel), or, ‘to winnow’ (cf. on 3.17), ‘to sort’ (Tzeltal). For wheat see on 3.17. The Four Gospels – a New Translation prefers a non-metaphorical rendering, “to put you all on trial”; Kituba has a rendering that combines non-metaphorical meaning with simile, ‘to put-to-the-test you, as a woman sifts kernels of corn’; cf. also Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.